Somalia-born US lawmaker Ilhan Omar says President Donald Trump made a “blatantly racist attack” on her and three other politicians of colour by telling them they should “leave”.
He has defended his comments and denied widespread allegations of racism.
The four US congresswomen dismissed his remarks as a distraction.
Ms Omar, along with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib urged the US people “not to take the bait” at a Monday press conference.
“The eyes of history are watching us,” Ms Omar said, decrying the “mass deportation raids” and “human rights abuses at the border”.
She also quoted civil rights leader Martin Luther King saying “all we say to America is ‘be true to what you say on paper'”.
